Arsenal v WBA 24 May – The Match Officials. Clattenburg – “rarely has a shocker, can be quite good”

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion 24 May – The Match Officials

by Andrew Crawshaw

Unfortunately Walter has not been in a position for some time to complete any more referee reviews so, in turn, I can offer no update on the Table of Shame. Suffice it to say that the wrong Important Decisions haven’t evened out in the end and that the PGMO have removed more than sufficient points from Arsenal to prevent us from coming higher than third in the League

Wrong Important Decisions

Favouring Arsenal

Favouring Opponents

2nd Yellow Cards

0

19

Red Cards

4

16

Penalties

4

18

Goals

1

7

Total

9

60

Possible Cost in Points

7

23

The Officials for Sunday are

Referee – Mark Clattenberg

Assistants – S Beck and A Garratt

Fourth Official – S Attwell

This will be the third time this season for Mr Clattenberg here is the history of his two previous games

Arsenal v Man City 13 September (2 – 2) – 71% Overall.

Bias against the two teams 27/73 and two wrong Important Decisions (second Yellow or Red Cards, Penalties or Goal decisions).

In Minute 45 Milner should have had a second yellow card (his first should have been given in Min18) and in Min76 City should have been awarded a penalty when Wilshere handled the ball. NB I have included 1 point in the Favouring Arsenal points column and two in the Favouring Opponents column.

Minute2 Ozil was wrongly called for offside when a clear metre onside but finished the ball into the net (it is difficult to be certain if the keeper was genuinely beaten or stopped with the offside call. Minute3 Coquelin should have been dismissed for a high foot on Cambell. I have added three points in the Favouring Arsenal column

2013-14 Season – again two games to look at but neither covered with full minute by minute reviews.

Swansea v Arsenal 28 September (1 – 2)

A solid win for Arsenal with only one major talking point which Mr Clattenberg got right and many of the commentators and pundits lost the plot over. A Swansea player got the ball to the goal line, SZCZ went towards him, the Swansea player clearly pulled the ball back from over the line past SZCZ, who stopped playing, and shot into the empty goal. The whistle had clearly gone but this was of no consequence to the commentators.

Arsenal v Southampton 23 November (2 – 1) Two post game pieces from the Untold Archives.

It should be noted that Mr Garratt had a shocker in the Everton v Arsenal game on 23 August refereed by Kevin Friend. In Min 44 he didn’t spot an offside goal and in Min 70 spotted an imaginary foul with Arsenal in dangerous position.

Mr Clattenberg is one of the better referees around, rarely has a shocker and often is very good (that’s put a hex on his performance for Sunday and he will probably be dreadful now)

His bias figures against Arsenal are still too high for comfort, but this year his wrong Important Decisions have tended to balance out

He is a referee we don’t see too much of which is as it should be (maybe not trusted by PGMO to deliver the right results). We have had him 7 times in the last three years (contrast that with six in this season for Mr Taylor).

Last home game, decent (hopefully) referee and WBA with nothing particular to play for Lets all hope for a bright performance from Arsenal and WBA not to park the bus.

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From the ridiculous to the sublime

23 May 1998: Arsenal recording of “Hot Stuff” entered the top 10.

23 May, 2006. Tomas Rosicky transferred from Borussia Dortmund for £6.8m. See also here. Despite numerous injuries he went on to play over 160 times for Arsenal and become captain of his country

The important thing is for Arsenal to win this game against WBA vist to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the Gunners end of the season home game. This game will be as difficult as the recents Swansea and Sunderland games against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium. If the Gunner want to finish their season on a high note by beating the Baggies, then the Gunners MUST be fully preparred and play to the activation of their own App Data Game Plan of: DIFFUSE DEFEAT AND DRAW GAME PLAN GUNNERS STARTS to successfully overwrite Tony Pulis’s App Data Game Plan of: INFLICT DEFEAT OR GET A DRAW BAGGIES STARTS. Tony Pulis and his Baggies team outfit are coming to the Emirates Stadiun with a lot of tricks in their pockets to trick the Gunners into submission. Thus compelling the Gunners to accept the result they are not after. Therefore the Gunners MUST pounce on the Baggies and tear their pockets to pour out all the tricks in their pockets and thereby render them with no any tricks to harm the Gunners.

Suspect we will play a “sort of different” team. Do not know what to expect really, as it all seems sewn up now. Unless Manu score 0-7 🙁 at hull and we (get a man sent off 🙁 ) and lose?
AW seems to want a strong finish?

I think we will make a few changes ,but keep to the usual style of play. We’d probably not overextend ourselves ,but I do hope we use the wings more , with more early crosses in.
More crosses , more chances , more shots , with more miskicks and mistakes from their defence .
Theo should also be given a chance to use his speed with the early ball over their defence .
WBA may not want to tire us unduly ,so that we are fresh enough for the FA Cup final against the neighbours !

I’m sorry folks, as some have pointed out it will be Robert Madley tomorrow. It will bemis 11th game of the season, none for Arsenal and one previous for West Brom when they beat Swansea at home 2 – 0. Last year he had five games only, none for either team. The year before he had no Premier league games that were assessed. As to how he will do – frankly your guess is as good as mine. All at the game should give him a warm greeting but be ready to call him out at the first signs of him making mistakes.

I am going to suggest that Clattenburg being removed from this game, is just another control thing with 😈 Mike Riley. One report said that Collina was at the UEFA game that Clattenburg recently did, and was pleased with how Clattenburg did. Taking the Arsenal game away is just Mikey’s way of saying thanks.

How many yellow cards does WBA get in this game? How many injuries do we get?

If Riley feels like it, let him overrule himself and take the game himself. I dont care. All I want is a good showing tomorrow and 3 points in the bag. Let the boys end the season with a goal feast and send Aston Villa into panic. Happy hunting boys.